At last, Ryan Murphy gets to wear the Canadian maple leaf on his chest for the IIHF world junior hockey championships.
The 19-year-old Aurora resident and defenceman was among 23 players named to Team Canada’s roster for the championship tournament to be played starting Boxing Day in Ufa, Russia.
A member of the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League and first-round draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2011, Murphy was unsuccessful in bids to make the team in 2011 and 2010.
This time, however, he was among the players kept by head coach Steve Spott, his coach with the Kitchener Rangers, following a pair of exhibition games against the University of Alberta Golden Bears this week.
It wasn’t good news for Murphy’s good friend and former York Simcoe Express teammate Daniel Catenacci, however, as he was left off the roster. The Owen Sound Attack star made it to the final round of cuts on Thursday before being released.
“It’s not a good feeling at all,” Catenacci said. “It is every boy’s dream to play on this team. I gave it my all. The biggest thing is going back and finishing off a good year with Owen Sound.”
Another York Region resident, goalie Jordan Binnington of Richmond Hill, and a teammate of Catenacci in Owen Sound was among three goaltenders included on the roster.
The Canadian team is expected to be one of the strongest since several players normally figuring to be playing elsewhere are available due to the NHL lockout.
The tournament begins Dec. 26 in Ufa, Russia.
Canada opens the tournament that day against Germany with a 4:30 a.m. ET start.— Torstar News Service